Bag holder waste basket



Nov. 29, 1966 w. H. FULTON BAG HOLDER WASTE BASKET Filed Jan. 6, 1965ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,233,325 BAG HOLDER WASTE BASKETWilliam H. Fulton, I Academy St., Chelmsford, Mass. Filed dan. 6, 1965,Ser. No. 423,776 4 Claims. (Cl. 22d-65) This invention relates to a bagholder wastebasket. It is especially for use with disposable, fold-flat,paper bags such as `are provided by self-service food stores forcontaining miscellaneous products purchased by consumers.

Such bags 4are well known and tend to accumulate in the averagehousehold. Many housewives find the bags convenient for placement insidethe kitchen wastebasket so that the bag serves as a disposable trash andgarbage container. However, the conventional supermarket paper bag, whendistended and erected, is` rectangul-ar in section and seldom fits theconventional basket, despite the fact that some such baskets areangular, rather than round. It has been observed that when a paper bagis crowded into a kitchen wastebasket, the open top of the bag tends to`become partially closed, thus being inconvenient to receive trash, andwhen the basket is emptied, the bag yremains in the basket because offriction. If bodily removed, filled, from the basket, the bag is usuallyso full that it tends to spill over, yand it is most dificut to coverthe full bag with another inverted empty bag to present a neat, closed,self-contained paper bag container suitable for pick up by trashcollectors.

In this invention, a hollow shell of thin sheet material is provided,open at both ends, into which an empty paper bag may be inserted, theshell supporting the bag in distended, erected condition with the bagtop fully open, while masking any advertising on the bag. The unit thusresembles a bottomless wastebasket with the base of the shell supportedon the floor and the bag enclosed and covered while serving as adisposable liner. When the bag is completely filled, a second, identicalbag is inverted and slid over the shell to form a closure for the firstbag, whereupon the shell may be slidably withdrawn endwise from betweenthe bags. Handle means is provided Aat the shell base extendinglaterally and inwardly of the base opening to form a support for thebottom of the inside bag and a grip for withdrawing the shell frombetween the inside and outside bags. The major area of the base opening,however, remains clear and open so that the user may push on the bottomof the inside bag during withdrawal of the shell to overcome friction.Thus the shell is withdrawn from the bag, rather than the bag from theshell, and the covered full bag cannot spill when placed on the streetfor collection or when carried to -a suitable place of disposal.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a lowcost, attractive bag holder wastebasket for more efficient use ofdisposable super-rnarket bags as liners, the shell being separable forlow cost shipment but rigid when assembled and erected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an -open ended, hollowshell of rectangular cross-section, the walls of the shell 'beingsubstantially equal in dimensions to the dimensions of a typical papergrocery bag, whereby one such bag may be supported within the shell andanother such bag may be supported around the shell.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a shell formed intwo halves, the halves having edge flanges for assembly into la rigidunit and 'also having handle means at one end of the shell to aid inwithdrawal thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theclaims, the description of the drawing, and from the drawing in which3,283,325 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 ICC FIGURE 1 is a perspective view ofthe two halves of the shell of the invention nested for storage orshipment.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the assembled shell, showing the edge flangesslidably interlocked.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing ya paper grocery bag beinginserted into the shell to form a lined wastebasket.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged end elevation, in section on line 44 of FIGURE3.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing a second 'bag invertedand on the outside of the shell.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the shell being withdrawnfrom between the first and second bags.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, showing the neat, closed paperbag package resulting from the use of the shell of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is la perspective view, similar to FIGURE 3, showing anotherembodiment of the shell of the invention.

As shown in the drawing, a conventional paper bag 20, much used byself-service food stores, includes relatively limp, paper side walls 21and 22, end walls 23 and 24, a rectangular bottom 25, and a top opening26. Such bags are usually of low cost, strong, brown paper, sometimesbearing advertisements on the exterior, and fold flat for storage byreason of the center creases 27 in the end walls and other creases 23and 29 of well known type. These bags are substantially identical indimensions throughout the country, are considered disposable, providedat no charge, and tend to accumulate in the average household.

The bag holder wastebasket 31, of this invention comprises a hollowshell 32 of thin, self supporting material 33, such as sheet metal,sheet plastic, or the like. While it could be skeletonized and perhapsperform an equivalent function, it is preferred that the material 33 beimperforate sheet aluminum, to present an attractive appearance and`form a closed rectangular figure to entirely cover the walls of bag 20,mask the brown paper thereof, and mask any advertisements thereon.

To prevent the limp walls of a bag 20` from bulging when filled, theshell of the invention essentially must consist at least of arect-angular base 34 and four integral, upstanding wall-like supports35, 36, 37, and 38, of selfsupporting material, spaced around the base34, `as shown at 39 in FIGURE 8.

However, as shown in FIGURES 1-7 in the preferred embodiment of shell32, the wall-like supports Iare coextensive in width with the base andjoined at the corners to form two longer side walls 41 `and 42 and twoshorter walls 43 and 44 and to form a closed rectangular ligure having abase portion 45 at one open rectangular end 46 and having a rectangularbag receiving opening 47 at the other end 48. The walls 41, 42, 43 and44 of shell 32 are of predetermined dimensions substantially equal tothe corresponding dimensions of the walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 of bag 20,each wall being coextensive in height and width with a wall of the bag,lso that a bag 20 may be slidably mounted around the shell or slidablyinserted within the shell. The four walls, 4l, 42, 43 land 44 of shell32 define ia rectangle, in section substantially equal to the rectangledefined by the bag 20, in section, when the bag is distended and erectedfor use, from its normally fiat-folded condition. The planes of thewalls, 4l, 42, 43 and 44 are substantially parallel to the planes of thecorresponding walls of the bag.

As shown in FIGURE l, the shell 32 is preferably formed in twodetachable halves Si) and 51, each half being right angular inconfiguration and consisting of one longer side wall 41 or 42 integralwith one adjacent shorter end wall 43 or 44. Along the axially extendingmating edges of each half 50 and 51 are seam fianges 3 52, 53, 54 and 55bent from the material 33 and which interlock, when one half is axiallyslid into the other half, thereby forming the rigid shell 32. By thismeans, the shell 32 can be shipped and stored at low cost, but can beeasily assembled into a rigid unit.

Handle means 60 is provided at the base end 45 of the shell 32, means 60extending laterally and inwardly thereof while covering only a minorportion of the area of the base opening 46. Means 60 preferably includesat least one aperture 61 or 62, Iand preferably two pairs of apertures61 and 63 and 62 and 64, each pair at a spaced distance from the opening46 in one of the opposite side walls 41 or 42. A flexible strand 65 issecured in the apertures to extend across the opening 46 in the baseportion 45 from one side wall to the other, thereby serving as a handgrip for shell 32 as well as a bottom support for bag 20. While a singlelarge aperture in each side wall could be used as a hand grip, theexposed strand 65 is much more convenient when the shell 32 is beingused as described below. The strand 65 is detached for shipment as shownin FIGURE 1.

In operation the shell 32 is shipped with the two halves 50 and 51nested as shown in FIGURE 1, and with the strand 65 detached. It iserected into a rigid shell of predetermined rectangular cross section byaxial sliding together of the halves to interlock the flanges 52 and 54and the flanges 53 and 55. A first paper bag 20, which is one of aplurality of identical bags, is then inserted bottom downward within theshell as shown in FIGURE 3 until the bottom rests on the strand 65 andthe bag walls are entirely covered by the shell walls. Because of thelateral support offered by the shell walls, the bag opening 26 remainsfully open as the shell and bag are used as a lined wastebasket 31,`resting on the floor (FIGURE 4). When the first bag is full, a secondbag 66, identical with bag 20 is inverted, bottom up and slidablymounted around shell 32 as shown in FIGURE 5 to form a closure and coverfor bag Z0. The assembly is then inverted as shown in FiGURE 6, so thatthe user may grasp the handle strand 65 with one hand while reachinginto the opening 46 with the other hand and pushing on the bag bottom tothereby slidably withdraw the shell 32 from between the first bag 20 andsecond bag 66 for re-use. The bags 66 and 20, as shown in FIGURE 7, thusform a neat, covered paper bag package 67, with no possibility ofspillage and with the bottom 63 of bag 67 now below, in case the bottomof bag 20 has been weakened by damp trash or garbage. The package 67 maybe carried to a place of disposal or left on the street for trashcollection with the doubled side walls preventing collapse due towetness, marauding animals or tears in the paper material of the firstbag 20.

I claim:

1. A bag holder wastebasket comprising:

a hollow, tubular, shell of thin self supporting sheet material defininga closed figure, said shell having an open upper end for receiving apaper bag and having an open lower end for exposing the bottom of saidbag when said shell is inverted;

said shell having flat planar side walls conforming generally to theconfiguration of an erected paper bag with which it is used and bothslidably fitting around one said bag and slidably fitting within asecond said bag;

and handle means secured proximate the lower end of said shell, saidhandle means extending inwardly and laterally `of the said open lowerend thereof for supporting the bottom of said one bag when said shell isright side up as a wastebasket and for serving as a grip for one hand ofa user, when said shell is inverted, while the other hand of the userextends into said bottom opening to push on the bottom of said one bagto eject said bag from said shell throughsaid open upper end of saidshell.

2. A bag holder comprising:

a pair of identical paper bags;

a hollow tubular shell, of thin, self supporting sheet material havingan open upper end and an open lower end, said shell having flat planarupstanding walls free of projections and having one said bag erected andfilled right said up therewithin and having the other said bag invertedtherearound to form a cover;

and handle means at the bottom of said shell, said means being securedto the bottom portion of the shell walls and extending inwardly of theopen lower end thereof to support the bottom of said filled bag and toprovide a grip for one hand of a user, in withdrawing said shell fromybetween said bags, while thc other hand of the user pushes on thebottom of said filled bag to overcome friction of said bag with saidshell.

3. A device for use with paper bags of the fold flat type, having limpside walls, center creased end walls, and a bottom, said walls defininga rectangle in section of predetermined dimensions, when erected;

said device comprising:

a hollow, tubular shell of thin shelf supporting material, said shellhaving at least a rectangular base and four integral wall-like supports,each upstanding therefrom at spaced distances therearound, said supportsbeing substantially equal in height to said bag, said shell defining arectangle in section, substantially equal to said rectangle defined bysaid bag, to slidably lit in said bag and the material of said shellbeing substantially entirely within planes parallel to the planes of thewalls of said bag when erected;

said shell being formed of a pair of right angular halves, l each halfhaving interlockingfianges bent from the mating edges thereof forpermitting said shell to be shipped with one said half nested within theother and to be erected by longitudinal slidable interlocking of saidmating edges;

whereby an erected bag may be inserted within said erected shell tosupport said bag with the bag bottom proximate said base, a second bagmay be inserted and slid downwardly outside said shell to form a coverand said shell may then be Withdrawn downwardly from between said bags.

4. A bag holder wastebasket comprising:

a hollow, rigid shell of thin self supporting sheet material, said shellhaving two longer side walls and two shorter side walls defining arectangle in cross section, and having a rectangular opening at eachopposite end thereof, adapted to receive an erected foldable paper bag;

said shell being formed in two halves, each half comprising a longerwall with an adjacent shorter wall;

integral, interlocking flanges on the mating edges of each said half,said halves being separable from each other for nested shipment andforming said shell when slidably assembled axially;

said shell walls being of predetermined dimensions,

corresponding to the dimensions of said bag to selectively fit around afirst such bag to support the same as a lined wastebasket, fit within asecond such bag inserted to cover said first bag and be slidablywithdrawn from between said first and second bags,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1963 Groff220-65 5/1965 Fleming 220-65

1. A BAG HOLDER WASTEBASKET COMPRISING: A HOLLOW, TUBULAR, SHELL OF THINSELF SUPPORTING SHEET MATERIAL DEFINING A CLOSED FIGURE, SAID SHELLHAVING AN OPEN UPPER END FOR RECEIVING A PAPER BAG AND HAVING AN OPENLOWER END FOR EXPOSING THE BOTTOM OF SAID BAG WITH SAID SHELL ISINVERTED; SAID SHELL HAVING FLAT PLANAR SIDE WALLS CONFORMING GENERALLYTO THE CONFIGURATION OF AN ERECTED PAPER BAG WITH WHICH IT IS USED ANDBOTH SLIDABLY FITTING AROUND ONE SAID BAG AND SLIDABLY FITTING WITHIN ASECOND SAID BAG; AND HANDLE MEANS SECURED PROXIMATE THE LOWER END OFSAID SHELL, SAID HANDLE MEANS EXTENDING INWARDLY AND